NAVY NEWS, MARCH 2011 27


LETTERS to the editor should always be accompanied by the correspondent’s name and address, not necessarily for publication.


E-mail correspondents are also requested to provide this information. Letters cannot be submitted over the telephone. If you submit a photograph which you did not take yourself, please make sure that you have the permission for us to publish it.


Given the volume of letters, we cannot publish all of your correspondence in Navy News. We do, however, publish many on our website, www.navynews.co.uk, accompanied by images. We look particularly for correspondence which stimulates debate, makes us laugh or raises important issues. The editor reserves the right to edit your submissions.


WHILST sorting out some of my old Navy photos I came across this picture of the 7th Destroyer cross- country and road running and relay team.


Our team was undefeated for


Magnificent 7’s unbroken record C-class calling


the 18 months the squadron was in commission.


set in 1960!


On a visit to Malta in 2009 I found out we still held the records for the village-to-village-relay and the Floriana to Spinola team race


I AM the recruitment offi cer for the 8th Destroyer Association – a well-respected naval organisation which has members around the country. We are hoping that many


officers and ratings who served in ‘C’ class destroyers in the China station between 1945 and 1963 would like to join our association. We are also asking any RN


personnel who served in any ‘C’ class destroyers in other parts of the world after this period to join us as well, as we would love to hear from you – and you could meet many former shipmates. We meet in Scarborough at the


beginning of September every year for our reunion and we also produce and send two booklets to members, which are well- received. Subscriptions are £10 per


HAVING read the letter from Kenneth Tipper (January) about his friend’s view of the historic surrender of the Japanese on the USS Missouri, I thought your readers might like to read about my late father-in-law,


John ‘George’


Cowen, ex AB, who died in April 2010 after a short illness. He too witnessed this event from the flight deck of HMS Ruler, moored alongside Missouri. He did not talk about his war


year. If you would like to receive an application form, please contact me at 2 Rydal Avenue, North Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE30 3UG or email me at frankcharity@hotmail.co.uk and I will respond to your request. – Robert Smith, Tyne and Wear


service until 15 years ago, when he showed me some photos and newspaper cuttings from an old shoebox. What he did tell me was that after Ruler was paid off in San Francisco, the whole crew had a long train ride across America to New York, followed by a troopship to England. They were put in an ex-Axis


PoW camp near Liverpool. The big problem was that the Admiralty forgot them. There was no food or drink, and the captain’s phone calls were disregarded. The solution was scavenging


run ashore in the Bamboo Bar at Sliema front.


Saved by Scousers


teams after midnight who took borrowed carts and wheelbarrows out into the fields nicking spuds, sprouts, cabbages – in fact, anything edible. This went on for some weeks.


But out of this sorry tale came


saviours – the people of Liverpool. They heard of their plight and came to the camp in droves to share their rations. Of course, someone at the Admiralty finally remembered and an apology was given, after which they were demobbed and were glad to return home! – Bob Allison, Heworth, York


Short and sweet (and sour)


THE PETS that HMS Wolverton had to leave behind in Chinese Hong Kong (letters, February) probably got eaten. Especially the terrapins and the bird.


– Roger Brunskill, Twickenham


After each race we had a 5/-s


– Jack ‘Mac’ McHale, Horsforth, Leeds


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44